Walking Horse Trainers Association

06/18/2026

🧨🐴🇺🇸FIREWORKS & FREEDOM🇺🇸🐴🧨
Horse Show
July 1-2, 2026 at the Bedford County Ag Center
‼️SCHEDULE UPDATE‼️

Class - RC Four Year Old Stallions

We look forward to an exciting and competitive class!

06/17/2026

Here it is !

06/17/2026

We are thrilled to announce our official class schedule for the Fireworks & Freedom Horse Show to be held July 1st & 2nd at the Bedford County Ag Center! The WHTA & the WHTA Youth Council invite you to attend & support this spectacular event as we bring back the magic of Fourth of July week in Shelbyville! Let 'em walk on!

06/16/2026

🚨‼️📝 SCHOLARSHIP DEADLINE - JULY 1, 2026 📝‼️🚨

The WHTA scholarship application deadline is rapidly approaching, July 1st! Please click the link for full instructions & to download an application from our website!

To apply for the WHTA Scholarship, please read all of the following requirements and instructions. Download the application form below and deliver to the WHTA office or mail to P.O. Box 61 Shelbyville, TN 37162.

06/13/2026

The Walking Horse Trainers Association is excited to bring back the magic of Fourth of July weekend with Fireworks & Freedom, taking place July 1–2 at the Bedford County Ag Center!🇺🇸🧨🐴💥🏆

As we prepare for this special event, we invite you to partner with us through a sponsorship donation. Your support will help make this year’s show a tremendous success for our exhibitors, spectators, and community. More importantly, your contribution will help support the future of our industry and contribute to the families and children within our community.

Please consider joining us as a sponsor and helping make Fireworks & Freedom a memorable celebration for all. Contact any one of the Show Committee members below or click the link to contribute online! Thank you for your generous support!

Margo Young - (214) 763-7379
Kailin Graves - (352) 536-4364
Heidi Waddell - (931) 224-9289
Kasie Sanderson - (931) 703-1567
Benita Caldwell - (931) 703-6167
Maria Bobo - (931) 607-5083
Freda Dean - (931) 703-4808

https://swipesimple.com/links/lnk_1bd44858a821022af25e16c157bffd2a

06/12/2026

🚨🚨ATTENTION!!🚨🚨
YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS - POINT OPPORTUNITY #1
On Monday, June 29th, 🏆The Prodigy🏆 is taking place at Cooper Steel Arena!

We are excited to be offering a lemonade stand!🍋

Proudly Sponsored by
🌹2026 Contender🌹
🐴Spotlight On Jose and The Bob Adcock Family🐴

Where: Cooper Steel Arena
When: June 29th, 2026 during The Prodigy

Please comment, on this original post, which time slot you would like to sign up for! You will earn points for your participation and EXTRA points if you wear your Youth Council t-shirt!
See you there!🇺🇸🐴🍋🏆

06/12/2026

Please make plans to join us and enjoy an uptown evening under the stars benefiting the FAST legal fund!

The evening of June 30th will feature a social hour and delicious dinner prepared by Glass Hollow, along with a cash bar provided by Grindstone Cowboy, followed by live entertainment by Brett Bone & Thomas Heath. Proceeds from Stars & Stirrups benefit the FAST legal fund. Click the link to purchase your tickets today!
https://fastwh.org/stars-and-stirrups/

06/12/2026

WHTA to Manage Horse Show on July 1-2


The Walking Horse Trainers’ Association and their Youth Council will now manage the WHTA Fireworks & Freedom Horse Show to be held at the Bedford County Agricultural Center on July 1st and 2nd. “We look forward to hosting a horse show that helps to celebrate one of the largest and most important weeks of the year for our Tennessee Walking Horse,” said WHTA President Spencer Benedict.

“We appreciate the efforts of everyone to make this possible and we look forward to having a great week of shows in conjunction with the Money Tree Classic and Woodbury Lions Club Horse Show. The new Prodigy qualifiers on Monday night, the fellowship street party on Tuesday night and then four nights of horse show will allow us to celebrate our horse over this historic 250th anniversary weekend for our country,” said Benedict.

The 4th of July week horse shows are a staple in the Walking Horse industry and have taken on many names and locations including Shelbyville, Woodbury, McMinnville and Bethesda. Previously there had been confusion over which shows would be held this year in addition to the Money Tree Classic and Woodbury but today’s announcement clears up any confusion for owners, trainers, exhibitors and fans. “We appreciate the cooperation of all the horse show managers to make this week what promises to be a great celebration of our horse. We encourage all trainers and exhibitors to show at all the horse shows this week and to continue to support shows in your local areas as these shows are the lifeblood of what we do,” concluded Benedict.

The full lineup of shows now includes:

Monday – June 29th - Money Tree Classic hosts the Prodigy Preliminaries and Auxiliary Equitation Showcase at Cooper Steel Arena

Tuesday – June 30th – Stars & Stirrups Fellowship Event on the square in Shelbyville

Wednesday and Thursday – July 1st and 2nd – WHTA Fireworks & Freedom at the Bedford County Agricultural Center

Friday – July 3rd – Money Tree Classic at Cooper Steel Arena

Saturday – July 4th – Woodbury Lions Club Horse Show – Woodbury, TN.

06/11/2026

The Walking Horse Trainers Association would like to announce some important changes to the 2026 Horse of the Year program. World Champion and World Grand Champions will still be automatic nominees however, the program has done away with the three show requirement and has increased the number of nominees in each division from five to eight. The remaining nominees outside of world and world grand champions will be selected from the high point results. Additionally, the association has added two new Horse of the Year divisions that include Amateur 5 & Under Show Pleasure and Amateur 5 & Under Park Performance. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Horse of the Year Program, please reach out to one of the Committee members which includes Rod Slagle, Chairman, Brad Beard, Laurie Toone, and Link Webb.